


Faded Christmas

by DirtyCoffey



Series: 25 Days of Christmas [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas, M/M, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 18:22:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16837936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirtyCoffey/pseuds/DirtyCoffey
Summary: Case fic involving werewolves and really sad Christmas ornaments.





	Faded Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Decorations  
> Song: First Snowfall-Over the Rhine (Although the whole album "Blood Oranges in the Snow" was used!)   
> Also, seriously, how many Christmas names can I use in this thing? 
> 
> A couple of phrases that I used for clarification:  
> UA=Unauthorized Absence (AWOL is the Army version)  
> Panzer Kaserne in Germany is a U.S. military installation in Böblingen, EU. Panzer hosts the US Army and also hosts the headquarters of United States Marine Corps Forces, Europe & Africa (MARFOREURAF) and various Special Operations units of the Army and Navy supporting EUCOM (Europe) and AFRICOM (Africa).
> 
> Pole Line Road, Highway 88 and other landmarks are made up and don't exist.

  
  
The Bluebird Inn in Pocatello, Idaho had some of the most worn out decorations Dean had ever seen. The glass balls on the tree were missing their glitter or mercury. The lights half worked and half didn’t. There was a disco ball missing half it’s mirror tiles on top. The Christmas swag across the desk looked more like a dead raccoon tail gone green.  
  
Sam nudges him and hands Dean the key. They turn around after Dean half smiles half grimaces at the lady behind the desk. Sam motions down the motel and Dean gets in Baby as Sam takes off on foot. Parking Baby in front of the door Sam enters, Dean shuts her down and gets out.  
  
Entering the room with ammo bag and his overnight duffel, Dean gets an eyeball of a worn out seventies decor. Sighing, he sets down his bags on the bed and hands the keys to Sam.  
  
“So what’s the case, Sam? Cause the sooner we get this answered the sooner we get the hell out of here,” says Dean.  
  
“Werewolf,” says Sam pulling out his laptop. Opening several online tabs, Dean looks over Sam’s shoulder as he lays out the case.  
  
“Autopsy photos?” asks Dean. Sam looks up at him and grins. “You hacked into a database,” says Dean.  
  
“Missing hearts and claw marks,” Sam replies. Dean stands up and sighs already mentally calculating how much silver ammo they have.  
  
“What’s the next step?” asks Dean.  
  
“Supper, tomorrow we’ll talk with the police department,” says Sam.  
  
“Let’s head down to that pizza and pub joint we passed coming into town,” says Dean.  
  
Tomorrow dawns with Dean trying to figure out if that’s a Vegas dancer or a stripper in the water stain on the ceiling. Either is nice in his book but neither should be on the ceiling of a motel. Rolling out of bed, showering, and running out to get coffee results in Sam still passed out. Dean waves the coffee under Sam’s nose and he stirs. Sitting Sam's drink on the nightstand, Dean retreats to the table. The bag of breakfast sandwiches in one hand make noise as Dean sits it down. Sam slowly gets up and joins Dean at the table.  
  
The boys' breakfast is quiet before dressing in Fed suits. They go ahead and pack up before leaving. Neither one wants to stay another night in that room.

A quick ride over to the police department shows the town's decoration looks wilted and sad. Dean wonders if they've had enough snow to make the decorations look miserable. Or if the town's decorations are just miserable to start with when they went up.  
  
Upon entering the police department, Dean notices the same sad decorations. But with the added bonus of the most depressing Christmas music playing. Dean keeps staring at the Popsicle sticks stuck on the wore out plastic tree in the corner.  
  
"Dean?” asks Sam. Dean looks at him and away from the train wreck of Christmas. He follows behind his brother as they walk into the office area.  
  
“Like we told your officer out front, I’m Agent Bowie and this is Agent Crosby. We were in the area and wanted to check on your current case. We’ve seen a couple of cases that have been similar in Rawlins area and wanted to be thorough.” Sam states.  
  
Detective Klaus pulled a manila folder from the credenza behind him. Handing the case to Sam he repeats the info they know. “Kris Olsen went UA from the Marines four years ago from Panzer Kaserne in Germany. We don’t know how he got back in the States or why he was here. We don’t have anyone in town with that name, there’s no credit hits or bank account use since he went UA. Hell, he may have been a survivalist living off the earth. We’ve got a few of them close to Route 88,” says Klaus as Sam pages through the file.  
  
“Where was the body found?” asks Sam.  
  
“Pole Line Road about four miles south of 88. There’s a white farmhouse on the west side of the street. The body found in the tree line at the back of the pasture on the other side of the house. An anonymous call sent deputies out to check and found him.”  
  
Sam nods and stands, handing back the file. “Thanks for the info.”  
  
“Think it’s like your Rawlins case?”  
  
“No, we don’t but we’ll be thorough and check out the pasture and see what we don’t find,” says Dean. They turn and leave the detective’s office. Winding their way back to the small foyer, Dean stops and looks over at the officer.  
  
“Why Popsicle sticks?” he asks indicating the tree.  
  
“Years ago we had our kids decorate the sticks like elves and reindeer and Santa. They haven’t survived too well,” says the officer as the phone starts ringing.  
  
They find Pole Line Road and head out of town in the grey cloudy winter day. Snow clings to the ditches and under trees where the sun doesn't melt. The snow is as tired and worn out as the Christmas decorations they’ve encountered in the town. Sam points out a farmhouse and Dean slows Baby finding a pull in drive to the pasture. He pulls onto the drive and shuts down baby.  
  
“Should have changed out of Fed Suites in town,” Dean says as they sit for a moment.  
  
“I’ll change in the back,” offer’s Sam. It’s a delicate dance with the ground wet and muddy but it’s an old dance. They find themselves in sturdy denim and boots to traipse across the ground.  
  
“Afternoon!” sounds a cheerful voice. Coming across the gravel road is a farmer that’s been here for decades.  
  
“Afternoon!” replies Dean. “FBI. Agents Crosby and Bowie.”  
  
“About that body?” inquires the farmer.  
  
“Yes sir, we don’t think it’s our case but best to be thorough.”  
  
“Think I saw that guy with the earth lovers. Their compound is about two miles through the trees there,” says the farmer. Dean looks at Sam and knows they are going for a hike today.  
  
“Mind if we leave the car here for a bit?”  
  
“Nah, it’s fine. It’ll be dark in a couple of hours. Be careful leaving if you keep heading towards 88. This road curves pretty good a couple miles on up. Been some nasty wrecks up there.”  
  
“Will do,” Dean says as Sam starts walking into the pasture. The farmer starts back across the road and Dean catches up to Sam. The walk takes close to ten minutes to the location of the body. Trampled ground and cigarette butts litter the ground but there's nothing else to go on. They head through the tree line and into another pasture to check and see if the new age, earth guys would be close.  
  
After a half hour, they come to a fence line and a wolf watching them. Both boys stop and wait to see what happens. After thirty seconds Sam nudges Dean and they watch a man walk across the ground towards them.  
  
“Howdy!” he calls out.  
  
“Hi!” replies Sam.  
  
The man reaches out to rub the wolves head before telling him to go up to the house. The guy looks at the brothers and sighs. Opening the gate, he steps back so Sam and Dean can step through. “Come on up to the house,” he says.  
  
They follow him while taking in the compound as they walk across the ground. Stepping up onto a large porch wrapping around a farmhouse, they meet with a middle-aged woman. She hands them each a cup of coffee. The guy indicates the swing and they take a seat.  
  
“You’re hunters,” says the guy. Sam and Dean don’t say anything but wait for the guy to continue. “Kris wasn’t missed till it was too late,” he says.  
  
“Kris lived here,” said Dean taking a sip of his coffee.  
  
“Yeah, Kris met Olaf in Germany and that’s how Kris got back to the States,” says the lady. “I’m Mary and that’s my husband Joseph,” she introduces them.  
  
“How did Kris get turned?” asks Sam.  
  
“A rogue wolf in Germany that Olaf took down,” Joseph says.  
  
“So how did Kris die?” asks Dean.  
  
“We’ve worked with the Rawlins Pack for a couple of years now. A couple of their younger wolves were down to inquire about some of our smoke shop methods. They left but Kris wasn’t here to see them off. We didn’t see anything odd since Kris and one of the wolves didn’t get along,” Mary says looking out at the compound.  
  
“It wasn’t but a couple of hours and then the cops were all over that field,” adds Joseph. “We eat animal hearts-we consider ourselves vegans that we don’t eat humans. We don’t turn anyone and we keep to ourselves,” adds Joseph.  
  
“Have a look around,” offers Mary. “I’ll have pie and coffee when you’re done.” Dean looks at Sam and stands up. Handing his cup to Mary he starts down the stairs.  
  
They wander around the compound and poke into nooks and crannies. The wolves are quiet but friendly and they visit with the ones they come across.  
  
Wandering into the barn they notice that there's animal hides stretched on the wall. There’s a small building built off the back of the barn that smells of hickory and smoke.  
  
“I know Joseph said you guys are welcome anywhere, but that’s our dry-curing room,” says a voice from the gloom. The man steps into a doorway opposite the closed door and comes back with a piece of dried meat in his hand. “We smoke deer, cattle, and pigs. We’ll have ham and roast throughout the year. The jerky is a quicker process,” he says as he holds out the piece. Dean takes it and tears it into two before handing one to Sam.  
  
“Wow, that’s really good,” says Sam. Dean nods his head in agreement.  
  
“I’m Nick. I was a butcher before turning and use my knowledge and what I’ve learned to cure meat.”  
  
“Thanks for the jerky,” says Dean.  
  
“Any questions I can answer?”  
  
Sam and Dean look at each and then Sam asks, “Tell us about Kris.”  
  
“Kris was a soldier through and through. He ran our security and kept us all safe. The other wolves from Rawlins were young and the one didn’t like Kris. I suspect it was the disciplined ex-soldier aura that irritated the wolf.”  
  
“You think this wolf took out Kris. Got the jump on him?” asks Dean.  
  
“It happens to us all. We don’t think something is a threat or isn't too much of a threat until we’re dying.”  
  
Dean looks at Sam and they thank Nick for his time. Nick walks with them back to the house. He leads them into the back door where Mary and Joseph are sitting at the table.  
  
“Well hello again,” says Joseph as Mary busies herself. Nick sets the table and Mary pulls a casserole from the oven. Joseph sets cups of coffee in front of Sam and Dean as Mary sticks a spoon into the casserole dish. “Help yourself,” Joseph offers as they sit down.  
  
“Did you see all you wanted of the compound?” asks Joseph.  
  
“Yeah, we did. We’re sorry about losing Kris,” says Dean as he dips into the food.  
  
“He was working with another kid we’ve got. Although Nevada isn’t so young anymore. He’s taken on the role of keeping us safe.”  
  
Dinner is good and filling, simple food of potatoes and ham and cheese. The coffee is strong and conversation is light. Sam and Dean find themselves enjoying the food and company.  
  
Dishes get loaded into the dishwasher; another pot of coffee started. Mary pulls a pie out of the enclosed porch. Dean’s eyes light up and Sam laughs. Coffee and pie end the night on a sweet note.  
  
“You guys headed back to Pocatello?” asks Joseph.  
  
“No, we’ll go through to Laramie or towards home,” says Dean.  
  
“Pocatello is home of the most depressing Christmas ornaments ever. I wouldn’t want to go back this time of year either,” quips Mary. Dean smiles and looks at Sam. Sam rises from his chair and pulls his jacket off the coat hook by the back door. Dean follows suit and they pause at the back door.  
  
“Thanks for dinner,” says Sam. “And letting us look around.”  
  
“And the pie, that was great pie,” enthuses Dean.  
  
“Well, safe travels,” says Joseph as Sam opened the door.  
  
“Want one of us to walk out with you?” asks Nick.  
  
“We’re good, thank you,” says Sam and the boys slip outside. The start towards the gate under a crescent moon and a glittering sky. Half an hour later, the boys spot Baby still sitting by the side of the road. The open her doors and the creak seem loud in the quiet. She turns over, smooth as ever, and Dean puts her in gear and heads out to 88 and then homeward.


End file.
